A. Learn new words through stories and explicit instruction, listening, and connecting with life experiences

Using Predictable Text to Teach High-Frequency Words
Uses Have You Seen My Cat? to teach predictable text.

A Chair for My Mother Prediction and Solution
Students will use vocabulary to help them predict the story problem.

Red Square, Red Square, What Do You See?
Students make a book in the style of Eric Carle to learn or review color and shape awareness.

From Stop Signs to the Golden Arches: Environmental Print
The primary goal of this lesson is to encourage children to see themselves as readers as they discover all of the environmental print that they are already capable of reading. Through this lesson the students and teacher will gather samples of environmental print from the neighborhood: signs, logos, brand names, and other print and non-print items that the children see and read in their neighborhood each day. As they display these artifacts in their classroom, they will be able to see how many different kinds of things they can read. As they read and problem-solve, they sort these artifacts and classify them—making them into special books that become part of their classroom library. These become well-loved books to read again and again. Best of all, these early emergent readers come to see themselves as readers, genuine members of the literacy club.
 

Poetry Portfolios: Using Poetry to Teach Reading and Writing

Teach your students about sentence structure, rhyming words, sight words, vocabulary, and print concepts using a weekly poem. These important skills for reading and writing are demonstrated in a whole-to-parts approach using engaging poems, shared reading, and independent activities.

Shared Poetry Reading: Teaching Print Concepts, Rhyme, and Vocabulary
Although phonological awareness is important for early reading comprehension, other skills become important as students develop their reading abilities. Designed to facilitate successful early reading for kindergarten students, this lesson teaches the acquisition of vocabulary, one-to-one matching, left-to-right directionality, and awareness of rhyme. Students study these important aspects of reading using a shared exploration of a poem that includes peer interaction, hands-on experience with print, and a collaborative examination of new and familiar words.

Starfall.com: Practice beginning reading skills while learning new vocabulary.

Little Explorers Dictionary: Over 2,000 illustrated dictionary entries! Each word is used in a meaningful example sentence. Most entries have links to a related web site.

Suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs):
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

E/B: Match word and picture flashcards.
E/B: Student repeats words with visuals after modeling.
E/B: Recognize when beginning sounds are substituted or omitted.
E/B: Identify and restate format elements of book (i.e. front cover, title, back cover).
E/B: Identify and express beginning sounds of words.
E/B: Follow sequence of words from left to right.
E/B: Identify and restate symbols and signs within classroom and community environment; D: Identify and restate symbols and signs within classroom and community environment; E: Describe symbols and signs within classroom and community environment.
E/B: Recognize some simple sight words; D: Recognize and produce some simple sight words; E: Recognize and produce various sight words.
E/B: Listen and repeat rhyming patterns in language; D: Listen and produce rhyming patterns in language.
E/B: Distinguish between capital and lowercase letters; D: Recognize and identify capital and lowercase letters.
E/B: Identify first sound within a spoken word; D: Identify first and last sounds within a spoken word.
E/B: Read some high-frequency words, including own name; D: Sort some high-frequency words by category; E: Sort and classify most high-frequency words by category.
D: Blend two to four phonemes into recognizable words.
D: Use choral reading following teaching.
D: Identify words by circling or underlining them.
D: Match simple words that are read aloud.
D: Respond to oral directions by placing word cards next to classroom objects.
D: Construct simple sentences with visuals and word cards.
D: Distinguish between individual sounds and syllables; E: Blend vowel-consonant sounds orally to make words or syllables.
D: Begin to correct self when reading simple words or sentences aloud; E: Correct self when reading simple words and sentences aloud.
E: Use more complex words and sentences to communicate needs and express ideas in a wider variety of social and academic settings.

E: Play the concentration game by matching visuals with printed words.
E: Compose a story with classroom words, using pictures and print.
 

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